Combined button and loop for traces



'UNITED STATES PATENT JACOB ALBERT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

COMBINED-BUTTON AND LC OP FOR TRACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5S.l95, dated September 25, 1866.

`Im proved Combined Button and Loop for Fasteneng HarnessTraces 5 and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents, in perspective, the combined button and loop when unattached to the trace. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of a whiftletree to which the trace is secured in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same.

Harness-traces are ordinarilyT secured to the whiftletrees of a carriage or wagon by means of small studs or projections on the ends of the whiffletrees, to which the traces are respectively fastened by means of correspondin g longitudinal slots or holes punched in their ends, into and through which the said studs or buttons are inserted.

In other traces, called loop-traces, used in drawing heavy wagons, a device shaped like a buckle without the tongue is secured to that end of the trace which is fastened on the whiftletree. The forward end of the trace is drawn through this buckle, thus forming a running loop, which is placed on the Whitfietree in an annular recess or groove turned or formed for its reception. Under this arrangement the tension of the trace will contract the loop and tighten its hold on the whifiletree.

My invention consists in constructing a device, by the employment of which the ordinary trace rst above mentioned, may be used either with the button -tree or loop tree, asoccasion may require.

The device consists of a loop of suitable size, having beveled edges and curved shank, terminating in a button or other similar holding device, the whole being formed in one piece. y

When it is required to use the ordinary but ton-trace, which, as above said, has a` slot or holev punched in its end as a loop trace, the combined loop and button invented by me is applied to the trace in the following manner: The punched end of the `trace is first inserted through the loop, care being taken to insert it so that the concave surface of the curved shank shall, when the trace is placed on the whiftletree, be contiguous to the tree. When the trace has been drawn through the loop a sufficient distance, the punched end is bent around, so that the button on the lower end of the de vice can be inserted through the hole or slot in the trace.

By means of my device a loop is thus formed which, when put on the end of the whiffe tree, above described, will serve every purpose for which the common loop-trace is employed.

It will be seen, therefore, that; by the employment ot' my invention, ordinary punched trace-s can be used indifferently as buttontraces er loop-traces, thus rendering it unnecessary to have ditt'erent sets of traces for the different whifdetrees.

To enable others to understand and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe it by reference to the aecompanyin g drawings.

The device is shown in perspective in Fig; l.

It consists ot' a piece of metal or other suitable material. lhe upper part ot' this piece is formed into a loop, A, of suitable size and shape, the edges ct c or" which are beveled, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. The lower end of the piece is shaped so as to form a button, B, which, when inserted through the slot or button-hole d,fin the end of the trace D, holds that end firmly to the whiffletree El. This button B and loop A are connected by the shank C, whose curved shape is shown more clearly in Fig. 2.

"When it is desired to use the ordinary trace as a loop trace, the change is eftected as follows: The punched end of the trace D is inserted through the loop A, the device being held so that the concave surface of the shank shall be turned toward the interior of the loop about to be formed. After the end has been drawn sufficiently through the loop A, it is bent downward until the slot d meets the button D. The button is then inserted through the hole d, its win gs b b, after being so inserted, being transverse to the length of the hole. A running loop is thus formed which, when slipped over the end of the whiftletree E into the annular groove or recess e formed for its reception, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, will hold the trace firmly to the tree. The tension of the trace will causev the loop to bind the tree tightly, the beveled edges a of themetal loop and the eurve of the shank C aiding materially in this respect. When the trace is to be again used with the button-Whiftletree, the device caribe removed by dise'ngaging the .button B from the slot d, and then drawingI back the traee through the loop A.

Having fully described my invention, Whitt I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

rlhe herein-described device, whereby the ordinary harness-trece een be used with whiffletrees of different construction, as described, the same consisting` of a. beveled loop, curved shank and but-ton formed in one piece, under the arrangement and for operation substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification before two subseribing witnesses. v

JACOB ALBERT. Witnesses:

W. BAILEY, Jos. L. OooMBs. 

